BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 04:43 PM

That was Freak Out, Elmer. The Trip had Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. It was a documentation of an acid trip and had no real plot. Not that Freak Out had much more of a plot.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 02:24 AM

Anyone see "The Trip" with Jack Nicholson as a hippie in the Haight-Ashbury who takes in a deaf runaway chick and basically ruins her life? Man, was that weird! There's a bizarre reinactment of an acid trip with hokey special effects, a scene that takes place in "the ballroom," modeled after the Fillmore, Avalon and Winterland, and a young, pre-movie star Nicholson with a fake ponytail. Scary!

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: PoppaGator
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 04:29 PM

Are they casting the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test movie yet?

Who's gonna play Neal Cassady? Jerry Garcia?

Do they need any overaged-hippie extras?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Arne
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 10:06 AM

Willie-O:

Then there's the wildly misogynist "A Boy And His Dog", with a very young but nasty Don Johnson.

Based on the Harlen Ellison short story (which was pretty good). Yes, there is some misogyny in it, but IIRC, I don't think Ellison was expounding the virtues of such....

Cheers,

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Wesley S
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 10:22 AM

This just in:

Van Sant Tests Electric Kool-Aid Acid
Source: Variety June 11, 2007


Nearly 40 years after its original publication, Tom Wolfe's hallucinogenic novel The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is headed for the big screen. Gus Van Sant is attached to direct, and Lance Black ("Big Love") will write the script.

The book told the story of a cross-country road trip that "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" author Ken Kesey orchestrated with a group called the Merry Pranksters. Driving in a psychedelically painted bus from California to visit the World's Fair in New York in 1964, Kesey and his band used the trip as a way to turn on those they met to the mind-expanding wonders of LSD.

Kesey ingested the drug while he wrote "Cuckoo's Nest," crediting the hallucinogen for many of the ideas in the book.

The film will focus on Kesey and include events that occurred after the road trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 12:07 AM

Cool story, Poppa Gator.

Brando was behaving more and more strangely in every film appearance by the time of Missouri Breaks. He would belch, fart, sneer, and indicate in every way possible his total ennui and disgust with himself, the movies, life, and other people. At least, that's how it seemed to me. Was this "the method"? Was it great acting? I sincerely hope not. Something was definitely bothering the man.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 11:20 PM

Speaking of sleeping, I nodded out in the theater during the interminable "The Missouri Breaks." And I've never been one to fall asleep easily, especially not in public, and certainly not when sitting up. Since that time, I've tried to watch it on TV on a couple of occasions, and still haven't been able to stay awake. (I find it easier to nod off on my own couch, especially so as I get older.) What a stinker!

I agree that "The Sixties" didn't start until at least late 1963 (the Kennedy assassination on November 22 is a reasonable benchmark date), and lasted well into the early 1970s.

On the subject of "Best of" as opposed to "worsts":

Mention has been made of the cartoon "Yellow Submarine," but how 'bout those two great live-action Beatles movies? Especially the first one, the wonderful "Hard Day's Night." Not the only notable accomplishment of director Richard Lester.

Also from Swinging London, the first (and only?) English-language film by the quintessentially-60s Italian director Michaelangelo Antonioni: "Blow-Up." Saw it on TV just a few weeks ago ~ it holds up very well indeed. Among other things, it was wonderful to see a very young Vanessa Redgrave...

On the subject of music-documentaries like "Woodstock" and [sic] "Altamont" (actually entitled "Gimme Shelter"), I offer for your consideration "The Last Waltz," which may have been produced a little bit later than the period in question, but which serves as a nice retrospective upon that entire era, and may well be the single greatest concert film ever produced.

And finally, my favorite story about "Easy Rider." I know that I've posted this before, but I'm inspired to repeat myself for those of you who haven't already read it...

There are three elderly black gospel singers who appear on screen briefly toward the end of the film, after the characters arrive in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. They are seen only for a few fleeting seconds, but their singing is heard for quite a while, throughout the "acid-trip" sequence filmed in St. Louis Cemetery. It's a very spiritual and exceedingly strange and spooky sound.

I knew these folks personally, since I was singing on the same streetcorners during the same two- or three-year period. (I didn't know them at the time "Easy Rider" was being made, only shortly afterwards; I first arrived in New Orleans a few months after the film was shot.) These folks were nothing if not "authentic" ~ real churchgoers, real New Orleanians, and real old-fashioned, completely innocent of any "show-biz" consciousness.

I have often wondered how they might have been compensated for their contribution to that soundtrack. They were probably drastically underpaid, but maybe not. I hope I'm wrong in my suspicions.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 10:14 PM

Rapaire (and Skivee...) - absolutely agree about Hair - the guy who played Burger was at least 10 years too old (at least) and the movie just lacked all the charm of the show (which I did find charming).

I think I am one of the few people in the Western Universe who slept through Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids ( I also think I am of the few people in the world who hasn't seen 2001   - A Space Odyssey).

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Skivee
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 09:46 PM

Hair
Both the movie and the musical were dreadful...a tin-pan alley version of the anti-war hippy experience.
A series of stereotypes strung together by cliches
Many of the songs defined "stupid":

Gliddy glub gloopy
Nibby nabby noopy
La la la lo lo
Sabba sibby sabba
Nooby abba nabba
Le le lo lo
Tooby ooby walla
Nooby abba naba
Early morning singing song

Gloopy, indeed

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 09:33 PM

Yeah, seems to me it was not long after Kent State. Young people were feeling very defensive about establishment-sponsored violence and oppression. That movie tuned in perfectly to the angst of the time.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 09:29 PM

Little Hawk - I am in complete agreement with you about seeing the first Billy Jack.   It was very impressive - at the time. It is an embarrassment to admit I even saw it.

One thing that the film did help - it gave a start to independent productions. Producers discovered that there were other ways to release movies.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 07:19 PM

That was a lovely summation of the salient points of Billy Jack, L.E.J.

I went to see it when it came out....and being very impressionable at the time, and feeling like an embattled and misunderstood member of the Woodstock Nation, persecuted by my parents, straights in general, and uniformed officials of all types, I was deeply moved. Within a few years, I began to see it differently, however, and I was deeply embarrassed. ;-)

The sanctimonious arrogance and the adopted mantle of "victimhood" (combined with absolute certainty of moral superiority) that young people were caught up in at that time was pretty seductive, if you were at just the right age. I was. Our heroes were all martyrs, outsiders, and noble losers. Nothing could beat a hero who was also a martial arts expert AND an "Indian".

By the way, I really can't stand "One Tin Soldier". I didn't even like it much back then.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 06:10 PM

"...when I see this beautiful and strong young native-american girl, with ice cream all over her head..."...Billy Jack

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Wesley S
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 06:02 PM

From what I've heard - THIS was the first Billy Jack movie - The Born Losers

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 05:31 PM

Against my better judgement, and remembering what Billy Jack and The Trial of Billy Jack were like, I rented a film called "Billy Jack Goes to Washington".   The film was never released to theaters, and with good reason.   At the time, around Watergate, the reasons given were that the film was too political.   The reality was, is was the worst piece of shit ever to be filmed.    Billy Jack, who was in prision is released and runs for the U.S. Senate and wins.   Okaaaay...
He then learns that the Senate is full of internal politics. Wow!!!! Shocking!!!!
There is one fight scene, thrown in just to give Lauglin a chance to take his boots off and kick the crap out of some bad guys.

The film was loosely based on Mr.Smith Goes to Washington. To watch Laughlin do the filibuster scene will bring tears to your eyes - you will be laughing that hard.

If you are ever given the choice between root canal without novacaine or watching this film, go for the root canal. It will be over sooner.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: JeremyC
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 04:19 PM

I don't remember whether it was Manos: The Hands of Fate or another hideously awful movie, but wasn't there one from this time period that featured a farmer whistling to himself while driving his pickup truck through the country--for something like ten straight minutes?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 03:46 PM

Add to everything else said against "Billy Jack" the fact that the narrator seems to have been a barely literate person reading from a teleprompter while in a coma.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: JeremyC
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 03:44 PM

Lonesome -

Now don't diss "Night of the Living Dead" - that was a pretty good movie.

Based on your description, "Billy Jack" is going in my Netflix queue this very moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 03:07 PM

Billy Jack is hard to beat for sheer sanctimonious bullshit, as witness the following:
1)The beautiful and innocent flower children who live a creative and fun life in a commune, and are humiliated by wealthy rednecks.
2)The mysterious and violent Billy Jack with his large mounty-style hat, who allows us to, while weeping over the victimization of the peaceful flower-children, root for Billy to go into a murderous frenzy.
3)Billy Jack's humorless and self-righteous girlfriend who epitomized the type of 60s woman who would brow-beat you for not bringing meatless hotdogs to a weinie roast.
4)Billy Jack, persecuted and arrested by The Man for indulging his medieval side on the aforementioned rednecks, walking out through a hoard of flower children with right-on fists in the air while "One Tin Soldier" pontificates in the background.

I saw Billy Jack on a double bill with Night of the Living Dead, which looked like Oscar caliber filmmaking next to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: JeremyC
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 02:49 PM

I haven't seen many of the counterculture films, since I grew up in the 80s, but I can comment on a few that were listed: Billy Jack, based on the 15 minutes I caught on cable, was horrible (though I kind of want to see the whole thing), Alice's Restaurant was good except for where it diverged from the song, and it was mainly good because Arlo Guthrie is one charming-ass hippie. A Boy and His Dog was great, although it's been a few years since I've seen it, so I could be wrong there. Worst, based on my limited experience, is probably "The Graduate," which struck me as awful and pointless. Mrs Robinson seemed decent enough, and I remember thinking that all the other characters were either horrible people or barely there.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Desdemona
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 01:14 PM

What a timely thread; next up in our Netflix queue is a doubleheader of "Psych Out" and "The Trip"...far out, man!

~D

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 10:17 AM

Mickey1191 - was that "Motel Hell"? Rory Calhoun and Phyllis Diller (I think) running a motel (Motel Hello with the "O" burnt out), and hapless tourists being kept in the yard and raised as food - it was done tongue in cheek, but still a bad movie.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: JJ
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:17 AM

The one mentioned WAY above about bikers and Vietnam is actually (IIRC) about bikers and Cambodia -- THE SAVAGE SEVEN. Theme song, "Anyone For Tennis?"

To return to the original theme of counterculture films:

ME, NATALIE
The unattractive Patty Duke (rejected early in the film in a cameo by the unknown Al Pacino) gets on her motor scooter and leaves Brooklyn for Greenwich Village.

THE MAGIC GARDEN OF STANLEY SWEETHEART
In which young Columbia student Don Johnson is seduced by a very young, very ample, very naked Holly Near.

GETTING STRAIGHT
Elliot Gould desperately attempts to get his masters degree as his car, his life and the campus disintegrate around him. I loved it.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: kendall
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 07:41 AM

The Man from planet X. Almost as bad as Lobsteroids.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Mickey191
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 11:46 PM

Rory Calhoun (Recall him?) as a farmer who made some famous sausages. You know the rest... Don't know the name.

"Elves" Nazi scientists do Santa's Elves a bad turn and makes them mutants.   Really, Truly.

"Cry Uncle" creepy junk about a weird detective.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: GUEST,Peter Woodruff
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 09:06 PM

"A Boy and His Dog" was a post apocalypse sleeper.

Peter

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: kendall
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 07:23 PM

Desperatly seeking Susan was clod. I sat through it because I liked the lady who picked it and dragged me to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: frogprince
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 05:43 PM

Yes,"Alex in Wonderland" really, really stank.
I was in college in a profoundly conservative town in Arkansas when "Alice's Restaurant" came out. The dynamics between the regional students and local people, and the students from civilized states, were mirrored so perfectly in the movie that I about came unglued watching it.

How did "Doctor Strangelove" get in a list of worst movies?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 04:51 PM

Another Brando one Reflections in a Golden Eye was was well worth missing.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 04:50 PM

Another load of crap is that one where Elliot Gould is a college lecturer who sleeps with a black lady and harrison Ford is one of his students.

Alex in Wonderland nearly outstinks it, but not quite!

Missouri Breaks is quite good in comparison.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: bobad
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 04:40 PM

"Alex in Wonderland" with Donald Sutherland and Ellen Burstyn, caught it on a TV late night movie quite a few years ago and thought it was one of the worst movies I'd ever seen. The plot key words from IMDB kind of say it all:

    * Beach
    * Director
    * Dream
    * Hippie
    * Hollywood
    * Music
    * Nude Dance
    * Nudity
    * Sex
    * Vietnam War
    * Character Name In Title

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: kendall
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 04:25 PM

Arthur with Dudly Moore. I'd rather watch cans rust.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Amergin
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 03:28 AM

the wild bunch

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 03:22 AM

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls by Russ Meyer, screenplay by Roger Ebert (really... and he now has the gall to be a film critic).

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 09:10 AM

Most people slept through Pearl Harbor, the film. It was another waste of time.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 05:57 AM

Sinsull, thanks. I thought I was the only one who hated 2001. I still don't see what all the critics and everyone sees in that film.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: GUEST,Yeah, but...
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 11:19 PM

Before you draw any significant conclusions from that, SINSULL, don't forget that there was a guy who slept through Pearl Harbour too.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 10:44 PM

Was 2001 Space Odyssey late 60s or early 70s? Piece of crap, in my humble opinion. I fell asleep twice in the theater.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 04:27 PM

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 04:20 PM

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?

Yellow Submarine?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 04:16 PM

Jesus Christ Superstar was based on a book as well

:)

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Amergin
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 02:10 PM

Logan's Run was based on a book, a book that had sequels with essentially the same plot...like Logan's World...and so on...

what about Jesus Christ Superstar?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Wesley S
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 01:54 PM

Did anyone ever see "Two Lane Blacktop" starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson ? There was a girl with them see, and they had this car, see and they traveled around and then.... Hmmmm, and then they, Hmmmm they ....

Gee - I guess that WAS the plot.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 01:47 PM

How come a "worst of" thread before there's been a "best of"?

True, that might be a bit short on nominees. About the only one I'd be sure to include would be The Muppet Movie, and that's 1979 (anyway, worrying about technicalities like that is not in keeping with the ethos of the 60s).

And of course there's Withnail and I, which though made in 1986 is set in 1969. Here is a site with the entire script.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: AliUK
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 01:45 PM

Brother from another Planet and Logans Run are late7 0´s early 80s movies so don´t really count. I am an 80s child ( means I became consciously aware of all this kinda stuff in the 80s when I was in my late teens) so most of the movie mentioned have always seemed kinda hokey to me. Easy Rider was only ever good when I watched it on Acid ( I watched it straight and it never did anything to me. In fact I´m not really a fan of Dennis Hopper. I just saw Apocolypse Now: Redux and forgotten how bad he was in that!!). Alice´s Restaurant...the live recording was better.TRip,Head, and the Biker Movies all seem pretty weird to me ( and bad). Now if we were talking about the 80s.........

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 11:22 AM

How odd... just as I'm reading this and the postings about The Graduate - Radio 2 are playing 'Mrs Robinson'... whooo!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 10:55 AM

OOPS I forgot that this was a "Worst Movies" thread. Ignore my previous post.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 10:50 AM

Yeah, "Missouri Breaks" is just downright bizarre...mostly because of Brando. I think the man had a secret desire to destroy his own artistic reputation completely...he acted as if he hated himself and everybody else in most of his later movies. Of course, one could interpret it all as "genius", I suppose.... :-)

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 09:35 AM

Okay, I remember it now... Belushi and Nicholson did another piece of crap western called "Goin South".

Subject: RE: BS: Worst of the 60's 'freak' movies....
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 09:32 AM

Oops. I just re-thought it and I don't think Belushi was in "Missouri Breaks".   The Brando part is etched in my memory because he was so awful.